Self-starter for internal-combustion engines.



A-. H. MIDGLEY & C. A. VANDERVELL.

SELF STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10. 1913.

1,1 59,061 Patented 2, 1915.

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6 WW I ATTORNEW A. H. MIDGLEY 64 C. A. VANDER VELL.

SELF STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES, APPLICATION FILED OCT. I0. 1913.

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c/F M ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HENRY MIDGDEY AND CHARLES ANTHONY VANDERVELL, 0F ACTON VALE,

' ENGLAND.

SELF-STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT HENRY MIDGLEY and CHARLES ANTHONY VANDER- VELL, both subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and both residing at Warple Way, Acton Vale, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating -to Self-Starters for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

.This invention relates to an improved self-starter for internal combustion engines such as used on motor cars or the like of the kind in which the starting is effected by means of a friction drive, the driving member of which is entirely disconnected from the engine to be started, and is adapted to be brought into frictional contact with the flywheel of the'engine.

The main object of the invention is to provide a simple convenient and reliable self-starter for internal combustion engines, another object beingto provide an improved friction drive in which the alinement .of the surface of the driving member with the surface of the flywheel is insured.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accom anyi'ng drawings in wh1ch:

Figures 1 and 2 are diagrammatic illustrations of the starting arrangement showing the same in two different views; Fig. 1 is a section transverse to theaxis of free wheel 1, showing free wheel or ratchet mechanism therefor; Figs. 3 and 4 are details of construction. Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, a is the engine to be started, 6 the shaft thereof, and c the flywheel .constituting the driven member of the friction drive.

d is a friction pulley fixed to a shaft 6 which is rotatably mounted in a fork-like member 7 provided with a short arbor or swivel g mounted in a swiveling bracket 71.- arranged to pivot on a shaft 71 which ismounted on supports j securedto the chassis is of the motor'car. the pulley is mounted is connected with the shaft of an electric motor m through the intermediary of two universal couplings 0 o and an intermediate shaft p constituting together a flexible shaft, and through the intermediary of a free wheel Z of any well known construction, for example, a

Specification of Letters Patent.

' swiveling bracket The shaft 6 on which ing the engine.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed October 10, 1913. Serial No. 794,523.

ratchet and pawl mechanism Z Z (Fig. 1 The length of the shaft 3? depends upon the distance between the electric motor and the flywheel as necessitated by circumstances.

Each of the universal joints 0 0 comprises a plurality of leather rings Z, preferably separated from one another by thin steel mugs and connected to two forks 2 and 3, which 'are arranged at right angles to one another, the four forks being secured to the intermediate shaft 77 and the shaft of the electric motor m and to the intermediate shaft p and the free wheel Z, respectively.

The electric motor receives its current from a battery of accumulators g of suitable to indicate that their positions are represented therein only diagrammatically, the true positions thereof being shown in Fig. 2, wherein the pedal and the steel wire are exactly above the driving pulley d.

u is a spring, one end of-which is fixed while the other one is connected to the v IL for the purpose ofreturning the latter together with the driving pulley d into the .non-operative position when the pedal is released.

The operation of'the self-starter is as follows r-When it is desired to start the engine, the pedal 8' is-depressed whereby the steel Wire 6 is caused to move the bracket k to: gether with the fork-like frame f and the pulley d in such a position that the latter is pressed against the flywheel 0. At the same time the pedal 8 moves the double switch r in a position in which it closes the circuit of the'electric motor m, the latter thus being operated by the current from the battery of accumulators g, and caused to drive the pulley d, which being in frictional contact with the flywheel 0, turns the latter, thereby start- Once the engine has been started the pedal is allowed to return to its normal position. whereby the pulley d is removed from the flywheel and the circuit ofthe electric motor is at the same time interrupted- Should the speed of the engine pass beyond a predetermined value the free wheel will disconnect the electric motor 'fromithe driving pulley ti, thus stopping the action of the latter upon the flywheel.

Fig. 1 shows suitablefree wheel mechanism for pulley Z comprising-a pawl Z carried by the shaft or a suitable hu b thereon, and internal ratchet teeth l carried by the pulley to cooperate with the pawl. This is simply representative of suitable ratchet or free-wheel mechanism. 7

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A self-starter for internal combustion engines comprising in combination a flywheel (0) attached to the engine and having a straight periphery in its axial direction, a friction pulley (d) having a straight periphery in its axial direction, a motor for driving the friction pulley, a flexible shaft between the electric motor and the friction pulley, a fork-like support in which the friction pulley is mounted, having a swivel (g a rocking bracket (h) receiving said swivel, and means attached to the rocking bracket (7) for rocking said bracket and for bringing the friction pulley into contact with the flywheel, whereby the straight periphery of the friction pulley is brought into alinement with the straight periphery of the flywheel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT HENRY MIDGLEY. CHARLES ANTHONY VANDERVELL. Witnesses:

"BERTRAM H. MATTHEWS,

P. A. OUTHWAITE. 

